Pot Edibles Campaign Launched to Combat Bad Experiences

In light of some negative press surrounding the potency of marijuana edibles, members of the Colorado marijuana industry have launched a new campaign called First Time 5, which is aimed at educating the nugget novice how to consume cooked cannabis five measly milligrams of THC at a time.

Although state legislators recently imposed standards for marijuana edibles, limiting these products to 10 milligrams of THC per dose, the Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation wants to encourage the beginner cannabis consumer to ease into his or her experience with edibles by splitting the recommended dosage in half.

“We sometimes hear from friends or friends of friends who are trying edibles for the first time and end up having a bit more than they find enjoyable,” Steve Fox, executive director of the CRCC, told the Denver Westword, adding that the effects from eating cannabis are more intense than some people can handle.

Unfortunately, this can be a harsh lesson for the first time user who consumes an entire marijuana edible containing 20 to 100 milligrams of THC. “There’s a big difference between inhaling and ingesting marijuana,” said Fox. “So there’s the possibility that they might consume a bit too much — and given the longer lasting effects of edibles, it might be unpleasant. Whereas, if they knew the more appropriate amount, it would probably be a more enjoyable experience.”

This is apparently what happened to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who in a recent piece about her experience with marijuana edibles entitled “Don’t Harsh Our Mellow, Dude,” she writes about an eight hour horror show inside a Colorado hotel room that clearly indicates that she consumed way too much. “As my paranoia deepened, I became convinced that I had died and no one was telling me,” she wrote.

The First Time 5 campaign, according to Fox, hopes to counter some of the unsavory media coverage that has emerged in recent months, using pot edibles as the scapegoat in the death of a young Wyoming student and the murder of Kris Kirk. He says the goal of the Council for Responsible Cannabis Regulation is to put a more positive spin on marijuana edibles by teaching people how to use them properly.

“That way, other states can see what Colorado is doing, learn from it and maybe bring it to their state,” said Fox. “Imagine if the alcohol industry were new and no one really understood the effects — and they thought doing five shots of vodka in a row made sense. We’re just getting basic information to consumers so people will have a good impression of the product and a good experience when they visit Colorado.”